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Zambeer

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The Ingredients

37 1/2 ml Sambuca, 375 ml Root Beer

How To make a Zambeer

Pour the sambuca into a highball glass with ice. Top with root beer.

Social and Cocktail says:

The Zambeer is simple-to-make cocktail which is surprisingly tasty. This is a good for a change to the typical spirit and mixer such as the Gin and Tonic or Whiskey and Coke. The anise flavour of the sambuca may not be to everyone’s palate but the root beer does help take the intense kick out of the drink.

The Zambeer can be a refreshing drink for the hot summer months but it is recommended to always serve with plenty of ice, otherwise it may taste a little strong. The key driver of this cocktail, sambuca, is an Italian anise-flavoured liqueur which is usually colourless, although there are now black coloured versions, and even bright red, available. The main flavours in sambuca come from essential oils which are obtained from star anise, anise, liquorice and other spices. It is typically bottle at 42% alcohol by volume, so is regarded as a very strong spirit.

The other ingredient in this drink, root beer, is hugely popular in America and Canada, but has never really caught on in Europe or the UK. Root Beer is a carbonated sweetened beverage which was originally made using the root of the sassafras plant as the main flavour. Root beer can come in two versions, as a soft drink or as an alcoholic beverage. Although root beer is not popular in the UK, you can still get brands such as Carters and A&W in all the main supermarkets.

Did You Know?

The Oxford English dictionary states that the term "sambuca" comes from the Latin word sambucus, meaning "elderberry".